Welcome Trish, and thank you for agreeing to an interview. From what I could piece together about you while doing research, it seems that you have had quite an interesting life! Not to mention that you’re a prolific writer with what looks to be four books and a novelette currently in print, with another two due out sometime this fall.
Before we talk about your books though, I’d like to take a moment to learn a bit more about you, the person. I’m sure your readers/fans will be excited to discover more about you as well…
In the written bio provided on your website, you mentioned that you were raised on a farm in Zimbabwe, Africa. That is definitely not a locale that anyone else I’ve interviewed has ever lived. Were you born there, or did your parents move to that country when you were a young child?
Charline, thank you so much for having me on your blog. It’s a great honor to be here. To answer your question—I was born in Zimbabwe, which was called Southern Rhodesia at the time, and I am a second generation African.
Thanks for the clarification. During my research, (based on the timeline), I wondered if the country was still called Rhodesia. What was life like growing up in Southern Rhodesia? I’m presuming that being on a farm; you were likely situated in a more rural location versus a larger city? Other than helping to raise animals and/or crops what did you do for your “fun” time? I’m guessing that this is also where your love of animals, and your subsequent concern for their well-being and continued survival began?
The farm was up in the mountainous eastern highlands, definitely rural, and I had to go to boarding school because there were no schools close enough for commuting. I always loved animals from the time I was very little, and when I was home, I spent most of my spare time with my horses, or my dog, or hanging out with my friends who lived on neighboring farms. We often went swimming in nearby dams or rivers, or we hiked into the boondocks, or climbed mountains.
Now, on your website bio you also shared that it was not unusual to carry an UZI around. Was this need to carry, (some rather serious weaponry), due to an instability within the country due to the failing/failure of the Rhodesian independence from British control/rule talks?
It would take too much space to go into it in detail, but in a roundabout way, yes. The insurgents were communist-trained and armed, and committed acts of terror, like cutting off the lips of informants. They picked soft targets, and raped, maimed and tortured them. Some of the most horrific massacres included attacks on American missionaries and their children.
That is such a horrific and shocking thing to read. I cannot even fathom what a life lived with that kind of fear must have been like… With the need to bear arms for safety purposes, what was it that kept your parents, and by extension your family, in Southern Rhodesia?
The need to carry an UZI only took place after I was married. The war took place in rural areas, and my parents were forced to sell the farm and move into the city for safety. My brother and sister were older than me, and could take care of themselves. My husband and I lived out on a rural property where we kept more than twenty horses, and I ran a riding school, but home invasions were always a threat. Typical targets were rural homes where there was no man in the house, and my husband was drafted, so I was left alone there with three small children.
I did read that you moved to the United States in 1990; what prompted this? What do you miss about Southern Rhodesia? What don’t you miss? Do you make an annual journey back to visit family and/or friends? (Or even to see certain animals)?
Actually, we immigrated to South Africa in 1978, just before Robert Mugabe became the first black president of the newly named Zimbabwe. We knew he would win the so-called fair elections by intimidation, (if you don’t vote for me, your children will die). He is still in power more than thirty years later and is responsible for ongoing genocide and torture. In fact, my husband’s cousin runs a retreat in South Africa specifically to rehabilitate torture victims from Zimbabwe.
I miss the freedom we had in Rhodesia, and my friends, both black and white; and of course we had to give up our horses, which was very hard. Our family members all relocated to South Africa and we go back and visit them when we can. We’ve been back to Zimbabwe, but it was very emotional for me.
We moved to the US when the company my husband worked for offered him a transfer, to manage one of their branches in San Diego, CA. We love it here and would never go back to live in Africa because the political situation is always so tenuous there.
Let’s move on and talk about the literary side of your life. Obviously you have a great love for books; else I doubt you would have aspired to become an author. When did your love of books first start? Do you remember how old you were? As you lived in Southern Rhodesia, what types of books were available to you there?
Rhodesia was a self-governing British territory, and therefore we were subjected to the British culture and had access to all of the books one would find in England. My mother fostered a love of reading in me from a very early age, with AA Milne and Enid Blighton, (who was banned in the US for some reason I don’t understand), plus C.S. Lewis, who was my favorite author as a child.
I, too, love C.S. Lewis…
Tell us though, when did you first begin writing? As a child, was this something you hoped to start “someday,” or did you just one day pick up the “proverbial” pen? What was the first piece you ever wrote? Why did you write it? Did you publish it, or is it locked away in a drawer somewhere?
When I won a couple of essay competitions in primary school, I was hooked, and I always dabbled in writing after that, but only thought of getting my stories published later in life, when I actually submitted a children’s story to a publisher in South Africa. In those days, publishers were like gods, and very picky, so I was not too disappointed when it was rejected. I still have the manuscript, but I prefer writing adult fiction now.
Trish, having read one of your novels, (Capricorn Cravings), I do know that you are a descriptive writer. You manage to put actions onto paper while successfully conveying the emotions behind them. Was this writing style something you had to teach yourself, or was it just naturally occurring? Do you have any suggestions for authors who desire to write in this manner, yet struggle to make their scenes read as “natural?” 
Writing is an ongoing learning process for me. I went to secretarial college when I left high school. I have no training in creative writing, but I have spent hours reading books on how to write fiction. I also read a lot of fiction by best-selling authors. I think the key to conveying the characters’ feelings is to write about how they react physically to their emotions – their hands shake, butterflies in their stomach, etc. These are called visceral emotions.
Okay, so book lovers can view all your published works by visiting your website:
And, as I viewed them, I found myself chuckling as I read the “about” blurbs for your Redneck series. (Besides … how can you NOT want to read a story that includes a pot-bellied pig named, (wait for it…), Piggy Sue).
Consequently, that’s the book, (and series), I’m requesting that you tell us about. How did its concept come to you? Had you originally meant it to be a stand-alone book and somehow it just morphed into a series? Once Backwoods Boogie hits shelves this fall, will there be any additional books to this Redneck series?
A lot of people have asked me how a person from Zimbabwe, (Africa), ends up writing about rednecks… That happened because my husband and I have always lived in rural areas; both in Africa and in the US. I had never been exposed to rednecks before, and their subculture just captivated me. What I particularly love about them is that they don’t give a sh*t what anyone else thinks of them. In my mind, that is true freedom.
When I started writing Redneck P.I., I had no thoughts about a series. However, while I was writing the book, I came to realize that there was a wealth of information I could write about that would take place in Twila’s home town of Quisby, Alabama. I knew then that there would be a sequel. Then, while writing Kick Assitude, a new story started forming and Backwoods Boogie was born.
I think there will be more books in the series, because there are so many things I’ve experienced that I haven’t written about yet. For example, when I lived in a remote town in Arizona, there was a guy who owned a small airplane and he built his own grass runway on his ranch. Often, when he landed back at the ranch, he had to buzz his bull first to get him off the runway and out of the way. It was quite scary for passengers!
Last question, and it even comes with an option! Do you have a funny story, (animal related of course), to share with us, or would you prefer to take this time to offer some heartfelt wisdom and/or encouragement to the aspiring author? Or … you could be a total daredevil and answer both questions. *chuckle*
I do have a funny animal story. One of several…
On one of our visits back to South Africa a few years ago, we took my then eighty-five-year-old mom, (who is now deceased), to a restaurant at the southernmost point in Africa, which required us to drive through a nature reserve. On our way home, we came across some German tourists with a problem.
My husband rolled down his window to ask what was wrong. They said a baboon had jumped into their van and was terrorizing their child, who was strapped in her car seat. My husband ran to the van and chased the baboon out, and helped the child.
Meantime, the baboon loped over to our very small car, jumped in through the open window, and sat in the back right beside my mom. I told her to sit still and not move, because baboons have very big teeth and can tear you apart.
When my husband noticed, and started heading our way in a hurry, the baboon grabbed my mom’s food box she had brought from the restaurant, and jumped out again. I still carry the image in my head of my mom sitting beside a baboon in the back seat of that car…
My advice to writers is read, read, read. You can learn a lot from other authors.
Trish, thank you for sharing all that you have with us; it truly has been a pleasure to learn more about you and your writing.
And thank you again. I appreciate all the time you’ve taken to formulate your excellent questions.
Are you interested to learn more about Trish Jackson and/or her books?
I never fail to be impressed by Rhodesians who had to leave everything they built behind and start anew.
Thank you, John. It is hard to be forced to leave one’s country, but it’s really the people you interact with who enrich your life.